College Admissions Are Becoming Increasingly Competitive

By: Stephanie Handley

What comes to mind when you hear “high school”?

Is it nostalgic memories of Friday Night Lights, dances in a crowded gym, your first crush, that teacher who changed your life? Or is it painful flashbacks of unrelenting stress as you try to balance good grades, sports, more extracurriculars than you can count and a challenging internship?

The younger you are, the more stressful your memories probably are. The college admissions process is more competitive and confusing than ever, which means preparing for college starts as early as middle school. Our teenagers balance heavier loads than many college students, all in an effort to make it not just to their dream college but to college, period.

College Admissions Are Increasingly Competitive

In March, Harvard celebrated its highest acceptance rate in years: 3.59% of its 54,008 applicants.

The UC numbers for 2024 aren’t out yet, but for Fall 2023, UCLA had a one-digit acceptance rate (9%) and our local UC, Irvine, accepted only 26% of its applicants.

At the most competitive schools, straight As are expected, not outstanding: in Fall 2023, the middle 25–75% of UCLA applicants had a high school GPA between 4.20 and 4.31, above an A average thanks to weighted AP and honors classes.

For students eager to attend our nation’s top colleges, it’s more important than ever to stand out from the crowd.

College Admissions Are Increasingly Confusing

The college admissions process is also far more confusing than it used to be (and we’re not even talking about financial aid). 

What’s the difference between “Early Action” and “Early Decision?"Between “test-blind,” “test-optional,” and “test-required”? Should my child take the SAT or ACT? What’s the deal with this new Digital SAT?

There are so many terms to know, decisions to make, and changes to keep up with. Families need help navigating this process and making the decisions that will be best for their students.

Elite Prep Can Help

Elite was founded in 1987 by J. Patrick Park as a small tutoring center in Rowland Heights, CA. It has expanded to more than 50 locations worldwide (including Newport Beach) and helps thousands of students realize their academic goals. 

We are right at the forefront of changes in the college admissions landscape, adapting our world-renowned SAT prep program to prepare students for the brand-new Digital SAT. We partner with accredited schools to offer for-credit courses to make your student’s applications shine, and our counselors offer expert 1-on-1 support through every step of your student’s college admissions journey, starting as early as 5th grade. 

Our Newport Beach branch is located at Jamboree and the 73, and we’re eager to meet you and your students this summer, whether you’re interested in Digital SAT Boot Camp, AP and Honors courses for credit, Elite College Consulting, ACT Summer Boot Camp, Elite Premier Tutoring, LEAD Extracurriculars, or High School and Middle School Prep courses.

eliteprep.com/irvine | (949) 252-9124 |irvine@eliteprep.com